An Interview with David Cawley, Art Center College of Design

In a recent post, we brought you an example of a company using MCor’s unique 3D printer to create objects that look like a metal. Now in the third segment of our series about 3D printing and higher education, we discuss how Mcor technologies like those used to make the copper frog and toad, are being used by real students in a higher educational setting. David Cawley currently works as the Director of 3D Printing and Model Shops as well as an instructor at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Mr. Cawley’s students are able to use an Mcor IRIS printer to bring their creativity from idea into reality using standard copy paper. The interview was conducted via email, and the transcript is here below.

1) What is/are your academic background and your qualifications? How long have you been working/teaching at the Art Center College of Design?
I am a journeyman Master Pattern Maker. I was apprenticed at a large engineering company in England for five years, attended Openshaw Technical College and attained certification in Master Pattern Making and Foundry Craft.

I also teach an Art Center at Night class, Introduction to 3D Printing.

I joined Art Center nine years ago as 3D Lab Manager. My current role now is Director of 3D printing and Model Shops

There are faculty in various locations on campus using 3D printers for their individual labs but up until now, there has been no central resource that has been open to all students and faculty.

2) How long have you been working with 3D printers and 3D printing?
I have been working with 3D Printing since 1990. I spent ten years with Solid Concepts as a Director—they are one of the world’s biggest 3D printing providers and were just acquired by Stratasys.

3) What prompted you to look into Mcor in the first place? How did you hear about them?
As a college we need to expose students to different types of 3D Printers. Mcor has a unique system with it use of regular copy paper. And it builds on a system that was around in the beginning of 3D Printing called Hellisys, another paper machine that used a laser to cut the layers.

I heard about Mcor from the internet and trade shows

4) How many and what type of Mcor units are you using?
The Art Center College of Design is using the Mcor IRIS color 3D printer which is the only one in the industry that uses ordinary copy paper as the build material. We currently own one IRIS but, compared to the other 3D printers in our toolbox, it’s the only one that can print photorealistic color models as accurately and vividly as a document printer.

5) What other types of units do you and your students have available to them currently?
We have three FDM Dimensions, one Objet 30, two ZCORP 310s, one ZCORP 650, and several of the small desk top personal printers, plus we have a few students who own personal printers.

6) What do you see as the biggest strengths of the MCOR products you are using?
The Mcor IRIS has several strengths:

Low operating cost. Since the build material is ordinary office paper, students can make, for example, custom rims and tires for a one-fifth scale car at $2 per cubic inch instead of the $6 it would cost with a plaster-based machine or the $20 it would cost with ABS plastic. Our students pay for their 3D printer materials so that price differential makes a huge difference and gives them access to a high quality 3D printer at a low cost.

Green factor. Unlike other 3D printers, the IRIS doesn’t spew dust or fumes. In addition, 3D models can be recycled along with other ordinary paper because, essentially, they are paper.

Color capabilities. The Mcor IRIS is the only one in the Art Center’s toolbox that can print photorealistic color as accurately vividly and intricately as a document printer.

7) To this point, how have you integrated the technology into your curriculum and courses? Are your students doing internships and practicums that provide them opportunities to use these devices in the real world?
As design students the printers are tools, the way they are integrated in is if a printing technology is a fit for a project or component of a project like it has certain material properties or there is a cost factor for just a quick form model needed before the design is finalized. We are like an in-house service bureau

As for internships, students use the resources of the company they go to; not many at this point use our printers. Having said that, students go to places where there are no printers and talk about our in-house capabilities sometimes.

8) How easy was it for your students to learn to use the Mcor printer? What has been the toughest adjustment for them, if anything?
Mcor, like other printers is not difficult to learn though the color adds a little more complexity. Each printer has its limitations and Mcor is no exception; students need to know what type of parts work best on each machine.

9) In your opinion, do the skills students learn using a device like an Mcor IRIS translate to other 3D printers students might encounter other places?
Yes, but again materials bring their limitations.

10) What advice, if any, would you give to other art schools considering purchasing an MCOR unit versus any of the others? How much of an investment are the consumables needed to run the machine?
Mcor is a great value proposition for any school or college. Yes, you pay more for the machine but cubic inch costs per part are the lowest of any 3D Printer.

Again I think the potential for the technology is just starting to find its place. As the printers get faster and the color gets better, it will find its place in a lot more institutions.

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